Existential Pizza

Finally on a recommendation from my wonderful friend Jocelyn, I went out to look for Spero Pizzeria. I am done with classes on Monday and Wednesday at 1:00 which basically means I can have fabulous lunches. David (my modern map) helped me locate Spero which is just outside the city walls a little less than a mile from campus. It was a beautiful day and a great walk that just increased my appetite. I arrived at Spero Pizzeria and ordered at the counter then went down the stairs where there was a small room that could fit probably about twenty people. Everyone there was Italian and the woman who took my order didn’t speak much English (I did my best to order in Italian), but those are two very good signs. I ordered quickly because I felt pressured—I knew I wanted a tomato based pizza so I just ordered the special which was tomato, mozzarella, basil, ham, and zucchini (I have to eat my vegetables somehow…). I sat down and looked over at my neighbors to notice their huge personal pizza (probably a little wider than a Frisbee and a tad bit thicker). However, I still ordered a birre—it was a long walk. That was a mistake; I wish I could fully focus on eating my pizza and not about the Beck’s in my stomach. Anyway, my pizza came in about ten minutes.

The pizza was steaming hot when it came out and I was a little overwhelmed when it was placed in front of me. I paused, took a deep breath, then reached for my camera and snapped a picture. I grabbed my knife and fork and cut into the pizza, I learned this is how you eat this way from observation. In the first bite I could taste the fresh, juicy tomatoes used as the base of the sauce. The crust was a perfect: soft, chewy, doughy, thick, yet crispy. The crust seemed to achieve the optimal balance between crispy and chewy. The pizza was then piled with thin strips of ham, large, full cooked leaves of basil, and big chunks of zucchini, making it at least half an inch thick. While I was eating I had to pull my hair back because it was so hot and it was almost a physical excursion, one might even say a quest, to eat this pizza. I looked around next to me and the other Italian diners were elegantly eating their pizza with a fork and knife and carefully placing small pieces into their mouth. I, however, could not control myself after the first few bites and started tearing pieces and shoving hem into my mouth. Then I started my habitual routine, when I encounter fine cuisine, of closing my eyes (in order to fully savor the food) and murmuring sounds of utter glee.

No wonder it was voted best pizza in the world a few years ago!